Measles outbreak: Wolverhampton parents sent message from school about vaccines
A school has urged all of its parents to get their children fully vaccinated following the rise of measles cases in the West Midlands.
Hill Avenue Primary School, on Hill Avenue, Wolverhampton, shared advice with from NHS England parents of its pupils as the number of infections continues to rise.
In the message, sent to parents of children who attend the school, Hill Academy advised everyone to check whether their young ones have received both doses of the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine, and if not, to book them into their nearest Vaccination UK office.
In the message, Hill Avenue Primary School said: "Vaccination UK have been instructed by NHSE to administer the MMR vaccination to all school-aged children who are outstanding one or both doses.
"The MMR would have been given at the age of one year, and the second dose at three years and four months. There has been an outbreak of Measles in the West Midlands which has been on the rise within the last few weeks."
It comes following a steep rise in the number of cases of measles in the West Midlands, where there have been a suspected 300 cases.
In response to the rise of suspected measles, one doctor said that "people had forgotten" about the potential risk the virus poses.
Dr Cheung told the PA news agency: "We have seen pockets of outbreaks over the country in the last year or so – there have been outbreaks in Wales and London – essentially it’s due to the fact that vaccination rates for the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine have come down and it is the lowest it has been for more than 10 years.
"In a nutshell, it is about vaccination rates. (We need to) reassure people about the benefits and remind people of the potential risks of measles, which I think a lot of people have forgotten about.
"And also to remind people that it’s never too late – if you’ve missed that slot in the schedule you can actually catch it up."
